Time To Catch Up!

These past few weeks have been pretty busy! Busy in a good way, though! Ryan's parents were here visiting & we had a fun time visiting with them. We went to the zoo with Ryan's mom, his sister Katelynn, Lins, Glendon, Mauri and Aubrey. That was a very fun way to start out our Halloween day! Derek had so much fun running all around the zoo and looking at all the animals. It was a perfect zoo day, too. It was cool but not cold - and it felt good to be outside! (In April when we went to the zoo it snowed on us!) It was not terribly busy and the animals were pretty active! Later that nigth we had sloppy joes at my moms (that's one of our traditions!) and then we went trick or treating! I love Halloween! It was a blast to dress up and go trick or treating! We went in a bunch - Me, Ry, Lins, Glendon, Aubs, Ry's mom & dad for most of the time, & Mar & Derek. One person we passed laughingly commented on how we had 7 adults to take 2 kids trick or treating! hee hee. What can I say? Who wants to miss out on that Halloween fun, right? And what fun it was! I've always enjoyed - no loved! - Halloween, but its been several years since I've been trick or treating. It was fun & brought back good memories to take the kiddos trick or treating. Mauri was a very considerate cousin and would ask for a treat for Derek if he wasn't at the door by the time she got there, (she'd say: "I need one for my Derek!" how cute!). I was so happy that everyone dressed up too! (there's a picture of that further down!).
We've also been busy planning a surprise party for my mom for her 50th b-day! Ryan made her a video with pictures from the time she was a baby until now! It turned out Perfect!! I got to scan in the pictures that weren't digital, and I'm really thankful I had that job! It was so fun to look at all of those pictures! I loved seeing pictures of my mom when she was little, and fun family pictures of all of us. I really have the greatest family! My moms b-day was on the 7th and she was surprised that we planned a party for her! I love my mom so much, and I don't think a day goes by that I don't feel grateful for everything she & my dad have done for us and all of the lessons they have taught me!

Here is Scooter at the zoo! Scooter & Grandma Miyake at the zoo!

Mauri & Derek

Oh! What a cute family!

Me & Scooter by the Elephants!
What a bunch of characters! Scooter was batman, Ryan was Mr. Clean, I was a witch, Aubrey was Edward Scissorhands (it was uncanny how much she looked like him!), Lins was Slash (when she told me who she was going to be I said: "Oh! Slash from guitar hero!...... Um, I mean from Guns 'n' Roses!" tee hee!), Glendon was an army man & Mauri was a witch!

Mauri & Derek at our ward "Fall Festival."

Mommy & Scooter at the ward party.

The fishing booth with Daddy at the ward party!